How to Keep Squirrels Off Bird Feeders (2025) Leave a comment
Squirrels: Are they simply rats with higher PR? Be suggested that this isn’t secure studying materials for squirrel lovers, and even squirrel apologists. In my view, squirrels are worse than rats—smarter, extra devious, extra damaging. I’ve had them nest in my chimney, chew holes in my eaves to get into my partitions, and destroy a number of chicken feeders. I even had one chew by a complete 4-by-2 pergola rafter to get at a suet block.
With the recognition of good chicken feeders, it’s much more necessary to study methods to maintain them out of your yard, lest they flip your funding right into a pile of chewed-up plastic bits. To make issues worse, in the event you dwell on the West Coast like I do, you are more likely to be coping with the Jap grey squirrel, which is a nonnative, invasive species that competes for assets with native species like Western grey squirrels. What’s a yard chicken fanatic to do?
Fortunate for you, I have been feeding birds for nearly 25 years throughout three completely different states, and have been testing good feeders for the previous 12 months, combating near-daily battles with these furry neighborhood foes. I’ve tried all of it and discovered what works—and what does not—so you possibly can preserve your sanity intact.
For extra birdy enterprise, try our guides to the Finest Sensible Fowl Feeders, the Finest Binoculars, and the Finest Items for Fowl Lovers.
The Golden (5-7-9) Rule
First off, there’s a tried-and-true methodology of foiling squirrels, and it is each free and innocent. Consultants consult with it because the 5-7-9 Rule: Preserve your feeder not less than 5 ft off the bottom, 7 ft away from constructions like homes, bushes, or fences; and 9 ft away from something overhead that they may leap from, resembling a tree department or roof. This often means placing your feeder on a pole with a baffle (I take advantage of the set above), or hanging it from a tall shepherd’s hook.
In the event you’re out there for a chicken feeder, particularly a sensible feeder, it is crucial that it have the choice to hold or be pole-mounted, as a result of in the event you can solely mount it on a fence or a tree, you are basically rolling out the welcome mat for squirrels. (All of the good feeders I like to recommend, together with Birdfy and Bird Buddy, embrace pole mounts.) If you wish to go the additional mile, you may also grease your pole with Crisco, which does not final lengthy however is sweet for an entertaining day or two.
Be aware that in case your good feeder does not have an connected photo voltaic panel to cost the battery, you doubtless will not be capable to mount it on the pole with the feeder with out some jury-rigging, so I like to recommend going for a mannequin with a built-in photo voltaic roof or no photo voltaic panel in any respect.
